Not sure where to post this, actually -- more of a rule addition for movement as much as anything else, but also a sort of perilous situation. Has anyone experimented with Fire? As an activity, as in to set a fire, or to attempt to put a fire out; or as a movement hazard, a wildfire sweeping across the land or a building fire spreading over a city block. Could fires result from various actions or abilities/attacks? How to simply regulate them within the PA rules? Before I try to re-invent the wheel, I should sound out this community for ideas and input.

This is the sort of thing that could be used in special scenarios or as an optional rule for special circumstances.

"Boss! Da joint is boinin'!!"

"Brains beat brawn but baloney baffles brains.""She looked like a million and stole ten times as much."

We generally use the Bursts and Perilous Areas rules for fires. For example, if we have a burning area or building on the table it is identified as an "extremely perilous" area.

In the first scenario for Perilous Island, "Hidalgo Fire" there are fire bombs that explode on turn 4. Basically, they create a 3" Burst which remains in play for the remainder of the scenario.

If starting a fire is important to the scenario then we handle it as a Plot Point. Likewise, if putting a fire out is part of the scenario then it's a Plot Point.

There are lots of attacks that could be fire related, 'Burst Fire' is one that leaps to mind. We do not currently have an ability/attack that puts a permanent Burst into play, but we do have a Fortune card that easily represents a fire being started -- "Bad to Worse".

The idea of a moving fire spreading from building to building and across the table is a cool idea and could easy be covered by a short special rule for a specific scenario. Let us know if you come up with something you like.

OH... I almost forgot -- Mila is planning to have exploding fire barrels in her Pulp-Apocalypse scenario this Friday. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

I have been working on a similar concept for a mountain-based scenario. In mine, it's not fire but a rolling avalanche that may be potentially set off if heroes shoot. the concept is the same though, a perilous effect that spreads from one side of the board to another.

In my case, I was going to have four burst templates placed each turn, requiring each turn's templates to be placed at least 6" further than the last turn's. It's not a perfect simulation, but it will happily simulate points of greatest peril.

Another way to handle such things might be to make the entire board perilous after the avalanche (or fire) starts with structures becoming extreme perils. This would allow players to throw perils at each other at any opportunity with the structures and other terrain features being unquestionably perilous due to the new added environmental characteristic on top of their normal peril.

I'm also pondering special scenario rules where a character with a flamethrower or similar flaming weapons/attack could try deliberately to start a fire -- perhaps as a Long Action that only that specific character can take (random Challenge), that must be completed before setting out a 3" Burst marker? Then expand that radius of effect at the start of each following turn by an inch, say, unless blocked by a barrier that provides a temporary or permanent block.

Players with access to such weapons are going to try to employ them in this way, might as well think about how to handle it, short of a declaration that it's not in the core rules, so no, you can't enter that room and set it on fire with your flamethrower. Something like a Long Challenge would likely require some effort on the part of the player and not just encourage rampant pyromania (something RPGs in general have to police strictly, or it gets out of control).

"Brains beat brawn but baloney baffles brains.""She looked like a million and stole ten times as much."